Chapter 483 (2): Going to Heaven Is Easy. There Can’t Be Anyone Who Wants in But Fails, Right?

Hesione and Auriel stopped arguing, each insisting that they were right and neither could convince the other.

Wayne stepped up and played the mediator. “Listening to you bicker, I suddenly realized that pointless arguments won’t get us anywhere. Whether I’m the Anointed One or not, a trip to Heaven will show us the truth.”

“You just want me to take you to Heaven,” Auriel said, glaring at him. “You will not get what you want.”

Wayne shrugged. “Your worries are unfounded. The Seven Deadly Sins aren’t hiding in the Papal State, but in Hell this whole time. If you don’t believe me, go take a look yourself.”

“That’s it. You’ve set up a trap in Hell. You’re trying to trick me into going there!” Auriel’s expression turned even icier. He refused to step into the trap.

“You should represent Imagination rather than Generosity, or maybe Paranoia. Your original moniker does not suit you.”

Since reasoning wasn’t getting him anywhere, Wayne decided to reason in physical language. Shaking his fist, he threatened, “Open the Gate of Heaven, Auriel. You still have a chance to warn the angels that a demon is coming. Once Hesione recovers her full power and opens the gate herself, you won’t even have that chance.”

Auriel’s face turned the color of liver. That was what concerned him the most. He wasn’t the only one who could open the Gate of Heaven. Hesione, the traitor, could do it too. However, bringing a demon into Heaven would be an unforgivable sin, one he couldn’t pay for.

“Hesitating again? You have no backbone. It’s a good thing that you aren’t the Viceroy of Heaven, or Pride would still win even with six deadweights.” Wayne looked at Auriel with disdain and helpfully offered him an olive branch. “You’ll be coming to Heaven with me, while the other reincarnated angels stay behind. Their job is to find the Anointed One. Since reincarnation isn’t easy, I won’t make things more difficult for you.”

The helpful offer was interpreted as quite the opposite to Auriel.

“Demon, you’re afraid of the Seven Sacred Virtues, so you want to keep Gerar and Vilkul in this world, dividing Heaven’s forces,” Auriel shouted. “What a cunning plan. Don’t think I’ll fall for it so easily!”

(一`´一)

Can I not kill Auriel now? Is it too late?

Wayne groaned silently. He wondered if Mikhael was in the same situation as Pride. One of them was carrying six deadweights in Hell, while the other was doing the same in Heaven. Did they complain about their useless teammates every time they fought?

“Demon, have I rendered you speechless?”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re so right. What then? What can you do about it?” Wayne rolled his eyes and gave a wave.

Auriel felt an irresistible, terrifying force grasp his entire body. Light and shadow flickered, and then Wayne hoisted him up by the throat. All the power Auriel possessed amounted to nothing. It was all trapped inside him.

His suppressed thoughts withered. He couldn’t breathe.

“See? This is how strong I am. In all of Heaven, the only one who matters to me is Mikhael. Stop flattering yourself. You make no difference at all.” Wayne tossed Auriel to the ground and looked down at him. “Open the Gate of Heaven, or I’ll kill all of you.”

Reza swallowed hard. He saw the beauty of power in Wayne. Someone as powerful as he was had to be the Anointed One.

Reza’s loyalty grew deeper.

Auriel climbed to his feet, expressionless. Glancing around, he seemed to hear the Thrones jeering at him. His eyes turned bloodshot. “Demon, since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant you that wish. Just wait. Once in Heaven, my power will undergo another massive evolution.”

“You sure can bark...” Wayne shook his head and told him to hurry up.

Huffing, Auriel strode toward the Pontiff’s basilica. The gateway to Heaven was located in the courtyard in front of the main hall. Beyond the location requirement, it would also take one reincarnated angel who had recovered their power and at least seven Sacred Tomes of Golden Law to open the gate.

The Gate of Heaven was a genuine gateway between two worlds, allowing anyone to physically enter Heaven. It was unlike the Sacred Tome of Golden Law that Wayne had used before, which only sent his thoughts there.

In front of the main hall, seven Legendary-ranked clergy members stood at seven spots, each holding a Sacred Tome of Golden Law. They chanted the scriptures to draw a white magic circle.

Meanwhile, Auriel was arguing with Gerar and Vilkul about whether they should return to Heaven. Gerar and Vilkul insisted that they had to return. The demon was too powerful, so just in case, they had to be there. Auriel disagreed. It had been proven that the two Cherubim wouldn’t make a difference. It was better that they stayed and continued the search for the Anointed One.

“The Anointed One may already be in Heaven...”

“The demon is too strong. We have to go to Heaven...”

“But the Anointed One...”

“Leave Fred here!”

“Would a Throne be enough?”

“No, but it’s better than nothing.”

The three Virtues huddled together and decided the list of angels who would return to Heaven. Throne Fred would stay in the human world to continue the search for the Anointed One.

On Wayne’s side, Hesione and Hestia both insisted on returning to Heaven.

“Anointed One,” said Hesione, “I’ve already found you, so there’s no reason for me to stay here.”

“Śār, I just want to follow you back to Heaven.”

“First of all, I’m not the Anointed One. Second, I’m not a Śār...” Wayne explained dryly. When he saw the stubbornness in the two angels’ eyes, he felt a headache brewing. “Hesione, let’s say we get to Heaven, and you discover that I’m not the Anointed One. What will you do?”

“Hestia, you too. Think about it. If you go to Heaven and realize that the clergywoman you’ve been antagonizing is the Śār you admire, what will you do?”

“You are the Anointed One!” “You are the Anointed Śār!”

“Fine, fine. You won’t see reason, will you? You’ll get what you deserve then!”

Wayne huffed. He had told them the truth, but they refused to believe it. He knew better than anyone that he wasn’t the Anointed One.

It was absolutely impossible! He would eat his tongue if he turned out to be the Anointed One once in Heaven!

“The Anointed One is too important a role for me to impersonate. I can’t bear the consequences. The same goes for you two. Someone has to stay and look for the Anointed One.” Wayne looked around, pointing at Olga. “I’m sorry, but you’ll stay.”

“Wait, um...” Olga looked stunned. She stammered, “Śār, is it really right for a Throne like me to take on the mission?”

“Right or not, you have to do it. These two idiots are lost causes. You, on the other hand, haven’t known me for that long. There’s still hope for you.”

Wayne patted Olga on the shoulder and said earnestly, “I have high expectations for you, Olga. The Anointed One is in your hands now.”

Olga accepted the heavy responsibility in a daze. Wayne grabbed her shoulders and spun her around, sending her to a corner to recover herself.

Reza took her place.

The Pontiff rubbed his hands together, practically vibrating with excitement. “Anointed One, I want to go to Heaven with you.”

“I’m a demon. Are you sure?”

“No, you are the Anointed One!”

“...”

Wayne didn’t get it. He didn’t know why these people were so confident. While he didn’t like Auriel, he had to admit that Auriel had a good eye for people. He was one of the few angels who actually knew what was going on.

“Anointed One?”

“Fine, tag along if you want.” Wayne turned to Hesione. “Is your legion still short on people, Hesione? If it is, the Pontiff—”

“We don’t need more people.” Hesione smiled.

Reza panicked. Although Hesione technically owed him one, handing him to her would be no different from a death sentence—well, there was a difference, a difference between immediate execution and a delayed one.

“Don’t speak too soon, Hesione. Look...” Wayne pointed at Hestia. “Tell me. Isn’t she the first person you’re going to deal with once in Heaven?”

“Anointed One, I’m not one to hold a grudge.”

“Be honest!”

“I want to kill her right this moment!” Hesione’s gentle smile didn’t even waver.

“That’s more like it.” Wayne nodded. “See? Hestia will soon die in a freak accident at your blade, which leaves a spot open in your legion. Reza slots right in. Problem solved.”

“That’s still a no.”

“Why?”

“I want to kill him right this moment!”

“...” x3

Hestia looked at the clergywoman with open disapproval. They were about to enter Heaven, and she was still roleplaying. Talk about dedication.

Reza’s face went white. He stumbled back and put Wayne between himself and Hesione. Right now, the Anointed One was the only one who could save his life. No one else could help.

Wayne patted Hesione on the shoulder in resignation. “Setting the facts aside, the old man isn’t too bad. Spare him for me, won’t you?”

Hesione’s eyes twitched. After a visible struggle, she said with a sigh, “Anointed One, I understand the path of redemption you’ve shown me. I’ve come to learn many of my flaws, and I’ve been trying to correct them. However, I’m not good at threading on thin ice. Do you think I can reach the other side?”

You’ve been imagining everything. It’ll be weirder if you can get to the other side.

Wayne put his arm around her shoulders. “Forget the Anointed One. As your boyfriend, I prefer you the way you are.”

“Do you mean you’ll permit me to kill the Pontiff and Frey?”

“Not Frey. I actually like her. I’m happy whenever you’re together.”

“Then the Pontiff...”

“No rush. Let’s get him to Heaven first.”

“...”

(・˘灬˘・)

Anointed One, Śār Hesione, is it really appropriate to be saying all that in front of the victim?

Reza’s heart pounded. He agonized over whether to enter Heaven. His instincts told him that this was the best time to prove his loyalty, but reality had made itself painfully clear. The Anointed One and the Śār were serious about luring him to Heaven before killing him.

There wasn’t much time for Reza to ponder. As the seven Sacred Tomes of Golden Law operated the magic circle, Auriel strode to the center of it and used himself as a switch to draw Heaven’s gateway down from above the Papal State.

A pure white gate glowed with golden holy intent, and behind the gate, a white world gradually came into focus.

Pillars connected heaven and earth, with endless drifting clouds and mist. Formed from pure light, they radiated a soft, solemn glow, symbolizing Heaven’s inviolable dignity and the origin of everything beautiful in the world.

The sight was warm and accommodating, inspiring awe and a serenity unlike anything anyone had felt before.

“Demon, the Gate of Heaven has opened.” Auriel stared coldly at Wayne, his heart pounding. He admitted that he was taking a gamble, but he kept up his bravado. “Follow me if you dare. Once you’re in Heaven, your evil—”

He cut himself off when Wayne dove straight through the gate, hastily rushing after Wayne from a distance.

The other angels followed suit. Reza gritted his teeth, cast his robe aside, and strode boldly into the gateway.

The holy glow contracted, and those figures faded away, leaving Fred and Olga staring blankly at each other.

“...” x2

You might not believe it, but I want to go to Heaven, too. x2

The two Thrones had spent their time in the human world as background extras. Because they were Thrones, they were never assigned a seat no matter where they went. They were the ones who most wanted to go home.

However, because Thrones enjoyed no rights, they had been ordered to stay out of their home. They could only watch as the Gate of Heaven vanished.

***

In the pure white world, the sky was cast in mysterious light, and holy radiance pervaded. Deep within the white clouds were rows of palaces and rainbows arching like bridges. Dragon roars could be heard through waves of clouds. Pillars of golden light came down from above, illuminating the halls and the clouds below. White and gold combined to create a sacred picture beyond the mortal realm.

Above the paradise, bells and harps played a melody. Flowers of different colors bloomed eagerly. Every once in a while, golden butterflies would fly by, the physical manifestation of holy intent.

Heaven was beautiful and sacred, with not a trace of filth or sin. However...

The natives here couldn’t be described as holy at all. Their base stats were high, so they embodied the beauty of raw power.

This was Wayne’s second time in Heaven. This time, he entered physically. Taking a deep breath of the sweet air, he said with genuine awe, “Doesn’t smell like sulfur. Heaven is much better than Hell.”

Reza wiped away tears with his sleeve, overwhelmed. Ascending to Heaven wasn’t easy. He had finally gotten here after a lifetime of hard work.

Wayne rolled his eyes at Reza. He knew that the old man was putting on a show. As the Pontiff, Reza already had a spot in Heaven even if he hadn’t boarded this bandwagon.

“Cut it out. There’s no one else around, so you don’t have to make it look like ascension to Heaven is difficult.”

Wayne huffed. It was easy to come to Heaven as long as one had the right friends. Surely there wasn’t anyone who wanted in but failed. If there was such an individual, they would definitely be a demon.

“Hahaha—”

Auriel set foot on Heaven’s clouds with surging holy intent. He had the support of countless angels and a one-angel army in Mikhael. He could finally guarantee his victory.

“Demon, this will be the day you die!”